Murcia 02/13/12

Thanks for the Birthday package, I enjoyed it very much. I like the Dallin H. Oaks book a lot. I shared the part about tithing in Testimony meeting yesterday. I called everyone to repentance. I like the movie, I honestly don´t remember any of it. But I enjoyed it. Thank you for the birthday cake. We baked it and I liked it a ton! We had a member family and some investigators come and eat the cake with us. It was fun.
Here's a picture of the cake you sent. Me and Hno. Apolinar celebrating my 21st birthday

This week I watched the entire D&C history DVD. It was cool reviewing all the Church history. It makes me wanna go to Far West, Nauvoo, and Kirtland.

Other than that, I had a great week. Hope everything is good at home.

Murcia 02/06/12

My birthday was very good. On Tuesday morning, we had a district meeting. The sister missionaries made me cookies called snickerdoodles and sang the Happy Birthday song to me. Awww...


During mediodia, we went to Archena, in the house of Elsa. Kathi and Pollo made me a huge birthday cake and a yummy dinner. They stayed up until 1 in the morning making it. They all sang "happy birthday" to me. They made me take a bite out of the cake, then they tried to push my face into the cake!! It was funny. I'm so grateful for their kindness & thoughtfulness.



One sister in the ward gave me a huge jar of Peanut butter from Albertsons! Then on thursday, Hna. Dacia made me a birthday cake and some food. Then on saturday, Vladamir and Alicia made us food and another birthday cake!! I've been spoiled and I'm so grateful for all of those wonderful people who made my Birthday so special. And on p-day, we ate at a mexican buffet. It was incredible.


This week Elder Melgarejo left to Puerto Rico. :( I´m sad.


Elder Melgarejo and I


I am now with a new companion. He´s from Orem and he´s super cool. He´s served almost the same mission as me. He started in Dos Hermanas, he was my replacement in Almería, and now he´s here. he has little more than a year in the mission. This week, we had ton of exito. We found 12 new investigators.

Murcia 02/06/12

Everyghing went well this week. Elder Cooper & myself are getting along fine and are working really hard. Nothing too exciting happened this week.

I´m glad the ward is sending missionaries out.

I will probably get my package tomorrow.

Another buffet with my district!


Elder Basurto, home at last!!


La capilla de Espinardo


Chocolate pasta at the Muerde la Pasta.

Murcia 01/24/12

I am coming home in April despite what the letter you've received said. President talked to me and he wanted me to let you know.
If we wait until May, it will be in the middle of a mid-transfer and it's just not possible to come home at that time.


Elder Melgarejo should leave very soon, he has his visa. He's now waiting for his plane ticket. Elder Cooper will be assigned as my next companion. I don´t know him, but he´s served in Dos Hermanas and in Almería.

We finally had 2 investigators in Church. They both wanna be baptized. They were both invited at a noche hogar in Archena. The previous Bishop name Cachari spoke about the Restoration and the Priesthood authority. It was great, because the 2 investigators were evangelistas. They love the Book of Mormon. We´ll see if we can´t dunk ´em in the water soon. I gave a testimony that the Gospel blesses families at that noche hogar. It was intense, because almost everyone in that room has a messed up family situation. Everyone was crying and looking at the ground. Well, I think they´ll wake up and repent!!



More and more people are talking about Romney.
Hope all is well!

Our district having some fun at Monte Agudo.

Feliz Cumpleanos Elder Bennett! Murcia 01/24/12

We want to wish our son a Happy 21st Birthday. We are glad he was born into our family 21 years ago today. We're proud of him and love him deeply.

I'm having a good Birthday celebration so far. As a District, we went to Monte Agudo again. It was so much fun. We went out to eat at an American-Mexican buffet that served tacos, hamburgers, bbq ribs, bagels, a sundae bar, chinese food, and all sorts of stuff. It was good!!!!

Murcia 01/16/12

I didn´t know Jon Huntsman was a presidential candidate. I looked at Mitt Romney's history on wikipidia. It's funny, it has a detailed history of his mission - He was an AP, zone leader, Asistant president(because the mission president´s wife died in a car wreck) and he was a Bishop and a Stake President. He also studied Law & Business at Harvard.

I withdrew the money for missionary work. I´m sorry I went over, but all the money was used for emergencies. We moved into a new apartment which was totally empty. There were no plates, no gas, no blankets, no iron.... so we had to buy EVERYTHING. And the funny thing is that my Church credit card got destroyed... and it's the source of money for me and my companion. So as soon as I get a new card, I´ll be able to balance out the money that I've used.

My comp. is going to Madrid today to visit the US Embassy. He´ll get his visa, and probably leave in 10 days.

I am excited for my birthday cake!!

Murcia 01/09/12

Un foto de nuestro noche hogar en Archena, en la casa de Elsa y Vincente. Espero que se lo gustan!


My MTC president was a lawyer and judge, President Earl, and he´s a diehard republican.

I´m stoked for Mitt Romney. I´ve seen his face on telivision a lot lately and according to the reporters he´s the favorite. They say he´s gold but has only one flaw - his weird religion, lol. The spaniards don´t understand, but thats ok.

The SD card works with my mp3 player, but its easier with our phone, cause it has a screen and I can view the pictures. I got the picture of me and neil as my background.

I can´t wait for my birthday package, and I can´t wait to read the book of Dallin H. Oaks.

We celebrated 3 kings day this week. There were giant parties, and celebrations in all the houses, and big parades and concerts in public squares. They have this cool cake, called "el roscon de los reyes", and it contains different prizes inside but there will always be an ´haba´ (a bean) and a lil´ King figurine. If you get the little king figurine in your slice of cake, you win the crown and you become king of the party. If you get the bean, you have to pay for the cake!! I ate Roscón cake 5 times this week at seperate occasions. Once, within the missionaries, Elder Melgarejo, got the bean. The 2nd time at an investigators house (this one was home- made and was the best!!), the 3rd time at Elsa and Vincente´s house, the fourth time at the church, at a ward party. I got the bean!!! The fifth time, because a sister in the ward gave us a huge one and we took it to a huge family home evening, and everyone ate it and loved it!!

I bought a long sleeve shirt for 5 Euros, and some new shoes for 39 Euros. It's super sales now. I need some pants as well.

Hope all is well, have a great week!

Un foto con Luis y Kati

Murcia 01/02/12 Happy New-Year!

New Year's Eve (Elder Shaver, Me, Elder Melgarejo, Elder Forrest, Hermana Ross, Hermana Capener, Estephania)

New years was a blast. We had to be in our house by 11:00pm, but we (the district) went to a member´s house where we ate, played card games and the guitar. It was really fun. Then in our apartment, we played a game of Parchisi until Midnight, then we did ´las uvas´ it's what they do in Spain. At the strike of 12, we ate 12 grapes. Then we toasted. It was cool. Elder Forrest wanted to sleep, but we didn´t let him. We watched the fireworks afterward. We also had church at 9 in the morning. But we made it out alright.

Elder Melgarejo will be leaving the US embassy on Jan. 17, and he´ll prolly get his visa 10 days later. Right at the end of the transfer.
President called me and told me that I´ll have to stay another transfer. I was kinda ready to leave, but its ok. It's a hard area, just because we don´t live in our area, and we don´t have a chapel in our area. But, we´re moving very soon to a city called Molina de Segura, thats 15 minutes north of Murcia. They´re gonna split the ward and put a chapel in Molina, but we need more tithing payers!

Murcia 12/26/11 Christmas week-end (Eve & Day)

Christmas Eve (Elder Melgarejo, Hermana Ross, Estephania, Josephina, Hna. Capener, Me, Bruné, Elder Forrest, Elder Shaver)


Christmas night with the family of Hno. Luis Garcia


a friendly game of Parchisi with Luis Garcia, Zara, and Heleman


Singin´ Carols around the piano with Shaver and Estephania


Having a Merry Christmas!


Singin´ a bit of flamenco with Bruné


3. Bowling on P-day

Murcia 02/26/11 Merry Christmas

The Murcia District want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and say, "Share a Book of Mormon with everyone this year."
Hnas Capener and Ross, along with Elders Melgarejo, Bennett, Shaver and Forrest share their love.

Murcia 12/26/11

Well, thanks for the phone call, it was nice. I liked the picture, that was pretty funny. Thank you for the money on the card.

I discovered last night that I can put mini SD card chips into our new church phones. And i put in the one that you sent me for ´hump day´ and for christmas and was able to see the pictures and listen to the songs for the first time. Thanks for the stuff! I really liked them and enjoyed them. Now I can listen to all the songs on our phone.

Have a very merry Christmas! :)
Elders Forrest, Shaver, Bennett, and Melgarejo enjoyed a little Burger King time. Nothing like some good old American food once in a while.

The Murci/Elche Zones say Merry Christmas

Murcia 12/12/11

I´ll probably get my package on the 21, with my card, so... you´ll be getting your Belén after Christmas, if you don´t mind.

Everything is going good here. We´re having a good time. We´re probably gonna be moving to a city named Molina de Segura. Its 15 minutes north of Murcia. They´re gonna be splitting the ward, and a new chapel will be built there. It´ll be cool.

The coolest guy was baptized, last week, in less than 2 weeks. Now he´s got the priesthood, and he´s a ward missionary. He´s given us 6 references, and he´ll be giving us more he said.

Murcia 12/05/11

I haven´t got the Christmas package and I haven´t heard anything about it. I´m sure I´ll get it soon. That's pretty crazy about the 100 mile wind. Did it do anything at home?

You want a Belén? The Spanish Nativity is a super huge tradition. It's more like an art rather than something you pick up at Wall-Mart. Belén is like our next door neighbor's Christmas village. But, everyone has one! There is a man in Archena, who started making Nativity when he was 8 years old and still continues until now, he's 60 years old. And its like 1000 square meters big. And this man made everything by hand.

Belén you have to recreate the entire city of Jersualem pretty much. And you have the 3 wisemen starting their journey far away from the nativity and they get closer every day until 3 kings day, Jan 6. I´ll look around and see what I can do. I´m sure some china store would sell something for half the price of Wall-mart.

I finished the BOM. It was a good exercise. So i´ve read the Book of Mormon 4 times on my mission. 2x in english and twice in spanish. Its a good book.

I´m glad that Neil is doing basketball.

Murica 11//20/11

Almeria reunion: Elder Lignell, Elder Hamilton & Elder Bennett


I like the Jacob scripture, I read it this week. I like the cross reference in the D&C 101:
55 And the lord of the vineyard said unto one of his aservants: Go and gather together the residue of my servants, and take ball the strength of mine house, which are my warriors, my young men, and they that are of middle age also among all my servants, who are the strength of mine house, save those only whom I have appointed to tarry;
56 And go ye straightway unto the land of my vineyard, and redeem my vineyard; for it is mine; I have bought it with money.
57 Therefore, get ye straightway unto my land; break down theawalls of mine enemies; throw down their tower, and scatter their watchmen.
58 And inasmuch as they gather together against you, aavenge me of mine enemies, that by and by I may come with the residue of mine house and possess the land.

We have to read the entire Book of Mormon before Christmas, and mark every time it says God, or Jesus, or Santo de Israel, or Cordero de Dios, etc... And i´m in Alma right now. I´m doing it in Spanish. I´m having fun doing it.

Gabriela was baptized 2 years ago. One of her friends name Cesar came to church yesterday, and he´s super pumped about the gospel. The Hermanas are teaching him. The only thing, is that in his Book of Mormon, he´s got a big ole´ sticker of the Virgin Maria. Cesar used to live in Archena with a Bolivian man named Jaime who is a member of the Church but inactive.

Jaime and most of his family was baptized when he was 14, but lost contact with the church when he moved to spain 8 years ago. The Father of Jaime, after years of investigation was baptized about a year ago, and he has a super strong testimony that the church is true. Missionaries never worked in Archena where Jamie lives.

When Cesar lived with Jamie, Jamie talked to him all about the church, about the Book of Mormon, and it was the true restored church. Then Cesar moved away.

Jaime found me and Elder Corradi about 3 months ago, walking on the street. He walked up to us and asked if we were mormons. We got in contact and reactivated him.
Jaime and Cesar were super suprised to run into eachother at Church yesterday. They both found the church seprately. That's awesome!

The whole town of Archena is doing good. One of the guys we taught a while ago wants to change and be baptized now. His name is Luis. he was so impressed by his buddy´s good example and also by Gabriela's change of lifestyle. He lives with a couple of menos activos, and they also are becoming excited about the church again. Archena is great. Its just far away.

Dia de la accion gracías, en Murcia!! We ate at a place called "Foster´s Hollywood"


Thanksgiving was cool. The food wasn´t the best, but it was fun nevertheless.

Murcia 11/28/11

Murcia & Alicante Zone Conferences.


Everyone agreed that the food was deliciously good!



Elder Bennett particularly loves the dessert. One thumb up for the cook!!!!